City of Seattle Families and Education Levy
Attachment 1
Request for Qualification
College and Career Readiness and Planning
COVER SHEET
Organization Information:
Organization name: SafeFutures Youth Center
Organization address: 6337 35th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98126
Describe your legal status and, if applicable, state of incorporation (for example, Washington
State non-profit corporation, Washington State partnership, sole proprietorship:
Washington State non-profit corporation (501 c 3) status
Application Components and Checklist (submit in this order)



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
Cover Sheet
Key People
Previous Experience
Tracking to Success
Women and Minority Inclusion; Non-discrimination
Contact Information:
Contact person: Sorya Svy
(please print clearly)
Title: Executive Director
Mailing address: 6337 35th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98126
Day/Work phone: (206) 938-9606 x 106
Email address: [email protected]
Signature:
Additional information is provided in Attachment 3.
Date: February 9, 2012
SafeFutures Youth Center: Middle and High School College and Career Readiness and Planning
1
Key People
SFYC employs a variety of staff members who are responsible for the coordination
and implementation of our programs, each of whom bring a variety of talents and skills
to our organization. Doan Nguyen is our Academic Services Coordinator for the
Motivating Youth to Succeed in Academics (MYSA) program, and is fluent in
Vietnamese. She has been with SFYC since June 2011 providing mentoring and
academic enrichment support for our youth. She has also been an exemplary volunteer
tutor for our MYSA Program since January 2011. Our AOD Coordinator, Nigel-Andrew
Paclibon, is responsible for performing outreach and education focused on substance
abuse prevention and education. He has also been an exemplary tutor for our MYSA
program since January 2011 and is fluent in Tagalog.
SFYC also employs a well-qualified group of case managers who are educated in
effective case management practices and whose cultural and linguistic backgrounds
closely align with those of the youth they serve. Our Lao/Mien Case Manager is
Yaochien Sirisisangpha, whose professional background includes working with at-risk
Southeast Asian youth for more than 12 years. Yaochien’s background includes
serving as a long-standing, highly-esteemed community elder for decades in the IuMien community in Seattle, and he is currently a board advisor to the Iu-Mien
Community Association of Washington State. Veasna Hoy is our Khmer case manager
and has been with SFYC since May 2011. She is fluent in Khmer and has experience
working with Khmer youth, as she was an English teacher in Cambodia for two years
prior to her employment with SFYC.
Finally, our Khmer Parent Support Coordinator, Sokunthea Ok, brings to SFYC an
extensive educational and professional resume. Sokunthea has been with SFYC for 6
years, and came to us with 10 years of professional work experience in social services
in Cambodia and the U.S., as well as 9 years of experience working for the
immigrant/refugee communities in King County. She has a Masters in Social Work from
the University of Washington, and her expertise is in child development and chemical
dependency prevention and counseling. She is fluent in Khmer/Cambodian, Thai and
French.
SFYC’s Executive Director, Sorya Svy, is responsible for overseeing our programs
as well as administration and fiscal management. Sorya has been with SFYC for 15
years, serving as the Executive director for 11 of them. Sorya has extensive experience
providing mental health counseling and case management for high risk youth of color,
up-to date and wide-ranging knowledge about program design and best practices in
providing services to youth designed to increase their involvement with their education
and decrease their risk of joining a gang or becoming involved with criminal activity, and
well-developed connections and partnerships with other youth-focused social services
coalitions in King County. In addition, Sorya is fluent in the Khmer language.
Previous Experience
SFYC serves primarily at-risk, low income refugee and immigrant youth and families
residing in Southwest and Southeast Seattle and White Center. These regions are
home to the highest concentration of low-income families in King County and are
incredibly diverse, with Southeast Asians (Cambodian, Vietnamese, Thai, Lao and
Mien), Pacific Islanders, African Americans and East Africans being the primary
SafeFutures Youth Center: Middle and High School College and Career Readiness and Planning
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populations. The demographic features of our clients mirror the diversity of the regions
we serve:
-59% Asian (Cambodian, Vietnamese, Thai, Lao, Mien, Filipino, Pacific Islander)
-27% African (Somali, Oromo, Eritrean, Ethiopian) or African American
-2% Hispanic/Latino
-12% Other (Mixed race, Caucasian, Native American)
The majority of our youth are between the ages of 12 and 19, are male (65%), and are
at moderate to high-risk of academic failure or drop-out or involvement with gangs or
other criminal activities.
Over the past fourteen years our Motivating Youth to Succeed in Academics
(MYSA) program has helped youth involved overcome the barriers they face to
achieving academic success. These services are tailored to fit their individual needs,
and include daily tutoring services, access to SFYC computers in order to complete
their homework, high school graduation support and individual academic advocacy. In
addition, we also offer dedicated, subject-specific enrichment workshops, which are
designed to help them improve in subject areas in which they are struggling. We also
offer students support designed to help them pass the required Washington State
academic competency tests, such as regular practice tests and individual tutoring plans
designed to strengthen tested skills in which they may be lacking. Finally, because 90%
of our clients are from families whose first language is not English, we provide intensive
English language instruction as part of our overall academic enrichment program.
Our case managers work directly with school staff as advocates for our youth,
closely monitoring their school attendance, completion of graduation requirements and,
if applicable, their disciplinary issues. Because of the close relationships our case
managers have formed with these schools, they are able to directly access the school
records of the youth they work with, allowing them to closely track their progress. In
addition, because our case managers are bilingual and bicultural, they are able to serve
as an important link between the school and our youth’s parents, many of whom do not
speak English, allowing them to facilitate parent-teacher conferences and keep parents
informed about and involved in their child’s education Our Academic Services
Coordinator also works with the schools, and through The Source is able to access
student records, allowing attendance and grades to be monitored. In many cases our
ASC is also able to obtain from the schools information about individual assignments
and projects, allowing her to tailor her interactions with individual youth in our MYSA
program to meet their specific academic needs. The relationships our organization has
formed with the Seattle public schools that we serve have created avenues for improved
communication, access and efficient methods for delivering necessary services to our
youth and families.
In addition to helping our youth achieve success while enrolled in Middle and
High School, we also strive to encourage our youth to continue their education after
graduation. Our program staff do this in a variety of ways, such as offering SAT tutoring
throughout the year, helping students through the college application process from their
admissions essay to applying for financial aid, and helping them find and apply for a
variety of scholarships. Our case managers are also instrumental in helping our youth
successfully complete the college application process by encouraging and facilitating
parent involvement in their child’s education. Our parent support programs, which focus
SafeFutures Youth Center: Middle and High School College and Career Readiness and Planning
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on educating the parents of our youth about the American school system, increasing
their involvement in their child’s education through facilitating their participation in
parent-teacher conferences and other school events, and encouraging them to take an
active role in promoting the importance of a college education to their child’s success,
are particularly useful in this regard. They also serve as translators for parents who do
not speak English so that they can be involved in their child’s education and as
advocates for the student so his or her specific needs are understood by teachers and
school staff.
SFYC also encourages the development of skills leading to success in the
workforce, specifically through our leadership development programs. This program
allows youth ages 12-19 involved in our MYSA program to engage in community service
activities as well as mentor and engage younger youth in academic enrichment
activities and community service projects. This program fosters the development of
leadership skills in our youth, important for their eventual success in the working world,
and also encourages them to develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments and
abilities, which leads them to greater academic success. In addition we offer a Youth
Summer Employment Program, which focuses on building skills related to jobreadiness, career exploration, and the importance of academic success as related to
success in the workforce. We also offer workshops throughout the year designed to
prepare our youth to enter the work force, working on skills such as creating a resume
and writing a cover letter, holding mock interviews, and helping them with job searches.
Because of their enrollment in these programs, the youth involved with SFYC
have achieved many remarkable successes:
*During the 2010-2011 school year, 97% of the youth involved in our programs
reengaged or reenrolled in school
*During the 2010-2011 school year, 100% of eligible seniors graduated from high
school or received their GED
*Academic and award attainments by current and former SFYC youth have
established higher standards for SFYC youth, such as ivy-league university
admission
*SFYC successfully identified and overcame the barriers to school attachment for
a group of chronically truant 7th graders, who thanks to intensive and consistent
support and mentoring progressed into school attachment and have now
successfully gone on to high school
*In 2011, SFYC received an award from South Lake High School for “outstanding
contributions of time, dedication and support to the students of South Lake High
School” thanks to the dedicated collaboration of SFYC case managers with
school officials to provide individualized, intensive case management services to
a group of South Lake students.
Adding to our ability to achieve these successes and continue to deliver them are our
partnerships with various organizations throughout the community. Since 1997, SFYC
has been closely partnering with Southwest Youth & Family Services (SWYFS) in our
service area, which was established in 1979 to provide counseling, education, and
family support to communities in West Seattle and surrounding areas. Since Fall 2009
our partnership has included South Seattle Community College’s Career Link and Life
Skills Training to ensure that youth are provided with academic support as they
SafeFutures Youth Center: Middle and High School College and Career Readiness and Planning
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transition from completion of high school to vocational training and/or college. We also
partner with the City of Seattle Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, a coalition of
10 area groups dedicated to preventing youth crime and involvement with the juvenile
justice system. Finally, SFYC has an ongoing partnership with United Way of King
County, one which has been instrumental in the implementation and maintenance of our
MYSA program.
Additionally, SFYC has partnered with the Seattle & Highline School Districts for
over a decade to provide services to students who need additional help in achieving
academic competence and success. SFYC bridges the gap between school
administration, students and their families, working to break down the barriers
preventing a student from achieving his or her academic potential. In order to do so
SafeFutures has worked to establish stronger relationships by meeting face to face with
school administrators and counselors from Chief Sealth, West Seattle, Southlake,
Cleveland, Franklin and Rainier Beach High Schools and Aki Kurose, Denny and
Madison Middle Schools. Examples of school personell with whom SFYC has close
and ongoing relationships include Christine Mattfeld, ELL Health Education Specialist
with the Seattle Public School District, Ginny Kalkoske, Intervention Specialist with the
Seattle Public School District, Carol Johnson, Head Counselor at Southlake High
School, Lenora Glymph, Attendance Specialist at Cleveland High School and Ellen
Recupido, Counselor at Franklin High School.
We have also implemented programs in coordination with the schools
themselves; for example, in the Strategic Prevention Framework-State Incentive Grant
(SPF-SIG) program, SFYC staff partnered with Seattle Public Schools to provide drug
and alcohol prevention programs to students and parents at Madison Middle School.
We also partnered with High Point Elementary (now West Seattle Elementary) to
provide students with the opportunity to use technology to improve their ability to learn.
It is SFYC’s standard practice to coordinate and communicate with our partners to
prevent duplication of services and to focus on using available resources to create the
greatest positive impact for the community.
The youth we serve have a variety of specific challenges to overcome in order to
achieve academic success. For example, the majority of the youth involved in SFYC
programs are foreign born, and evidence suggests that it is these youth who are
particularly at risk for academic failure, as many of them face both economic and
linguistic challenges. The Lao and Mien populations, which reside primarily in Southeast
Seattle and are some of the primary populations served by SFYC, face these
challenges at even higher levels than youth from other cultures. Likely as a result, only
5% and 6.6% of Washington State residents from these populations respectively hold a
bachelor’s degree or higher (2000, United States Census).
Another problem faced by the youth involved in SFYC programs is low
attendance rates, which have decreased up to 10% in the past 5 years, a trend that
begins in the middle schools and only worsens in the high schools. For example, only
47% of students at Aki Kurose middle school had less than 10 absences during the
2010-2011 school year, a number that dropped to 32% of students at Rainier Beach
High School (2011, Seattle Public Schools School Report for 2010-2011). Improving
the school attendance of the youth involved in SFYC programs is one of our primary
goals, which we accomplish by progressing our youth into school attachment through
SafeFutures Youth Center: Middle and High School College and Career Readiness and Planning
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maintaining an encouraging, positive environment, decreasing barriers to school
attendance in the youth’s life, and providing individually-tailored programs for each of
our youth in order to address their personal academic challenges.
Tracking to Success
SFYC staff collects qualitative and quantitative service data from each client’s
file, including demographic features, staff/client contacts and referrals. We diligently
record indicators of success, such as increased school attendance, and milestones,
such as high school graduation or employment training and placement. For schoolrelated data, direct services staff has access to The Source, a Seattle Public Schools
web-based data-base of student records including attendance, grades, credits earned
and other relevant information critical to advancements and graduation.
Each youth involved in our programs has an individual file, which is updated
weekly by our Academic Services Coordinator (ASC). When a youth enrolls in our
program, he or she completes an intake form, which includes information about the
school they attend and their contact information, which allows us to find and track that
student on The Source. Included is an example of the template we use to track the
information of each individual youth, which we update weekly. This spreadsheet
includes the student’s class schedule, including his or her grades in each class for each
semester as well as his or her overall GPA, and a record of absences, including the
date, class period and whether it was excused or unexcused, information which is
obtained from The Source. In addition, we track the student’s weekly attendance at our
MYSA program. Other information in the file includes the student’s progress towards
meeting his or her graduation requirements, such as passing necessary classes and
receiving the necessary amount of credits. We also keep track of his or her progress
towards applying for college, including SAT/ACT scores, completion of FAFSA and
scholarship applications, schools applied to, and career goals. Finally, our file for each
youth includes space for our staff to write comments to assess each youth’s progress
throughout his or her involvement in our programs. Specifically our files include space
for an assessment of each youth’s strengths and weaknesses (both academic and
otherwise), as well as the barriers to his or her success, such as family issues,
behavioral issues, truancy issues, etc. All of this information allows us to create a
complete profile of the youth, allowing us to tailor our services to each individual in order
to meet his or her unique needs as successfully as possible.
Women and Minority Inclusion; Non-discrimination
Since its inception 15 years ago SFYC has been dedicated to maintaining nondiscriminatory hiring practices, and in fact we encourage women and minorities to apply.
If we receive funding we would seek to hire another member of our staff in order to
increase our capacity to deliver our services. Our hiring practices themselves
demonstrate our commitment to maintaining a diverse group of staff. Besides posting
job advertisements on Craigslist, we also publish them in a variety of newspapers which
reach culturally diverse populations, such as Asian Weekly and the International
Examiner. In addition, our board members and current staff also reach out to the
leaders of a diverse range of cultural communities in the Seattle area to alert them
about any available positions.
SafeFutures Youth Center
ISP Key
REDUCTION IN CRIMINAL INVOLVEMENT AND BEHAVIOR
1a Fulfilment of probation, diversion, or community service requirements
1b Reduction of discipline referrals, suspensions, and/or expulsions due to violence related incidents in 90 days
1c Reduction of criminal referrals, admissions, or detention days for 90 days
1d Reduction in gang-related behavior for 90 days or exit from gang
1e Transition out of severe behavior disorder classroom
2a
2b
2c
2d
2e
2f
2g
2h
2i
INCREASED SCHOOL SUCCESS
Re-enroll in school or enroll in a GED program
Complete General Educational Development (GED) certificate
Progress to the next grade level or graduate from high school
Increase quarterly attendance by 10%
Increase quarterly grade(s) in at least one required course (English Language Arts, Mathematics,
Social Studies, Science) or show academic improvement on Individual Education Plan (IEP)
Complete 60 hour service learning requirement
Pass one GED subject test
Enroll in post-secondary education/training
Attend post-secondary education.training for at least one quarter
INCREASED INVOLVEMENT IN PRO-SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
3a Enrollment and regular participation (70% attendance rate) in a community service program
in the areas of recreation, music, arts, dance, sports, life skils, etc. for 90 days or duration of program
INCREASED EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
4a Complete pre-employment.job readiness training (80% attendance rate for duration of the program)
4b Complete internship or group project (80% attendance rate for duration of the program and a positive evaluation)
4c Secure employment
ENGAGEMENT IN TREATMENT
5a Enrollment and regular participation (70% attendance rate) in a treatment program such as
substance abuse, mental health, family counseling, etc. for 90 days or duration of program
IMPROVED HOUSING STABILITY
6a Secure safe and stable transitional or permanent housing
6b Retain safe and stable transitional or permanent housing for at least 90 days
IMPROVED FAMILY FUNCTIONING
7a Increased positive family interactions and reduced family conflict for at least 90 days
7b Increased parent/guardian ability to support their child's goals and to navigate/access the school,
court, and/or social service systems
SafeFutures Youth Center
College Readiness
SEMESTER 2
JANE DOE
Chief Sealth HS 12
STUDENT ID: 1005155
BIRTHDATE: 12/17/1993
Cambodian Female
Attendance
x
OUTCOMES
yes = x, no = o
Behavior
Barrier
o
o
Date
2/1/2012
2/2/2012
2/3/2012
2/7/2012
2/8/2012
2/9/2012
SCHOOL ATTENDANCES
Excused Unexcused
Period Class
5, 6
x
7
Mentorship
x
2, 4, 6
x
Geometry
x
4
7
Mentorship
x
7
Mentorship
x
MYSA ATTENDANCES
Date
Comments
2/2/2012
2/6/2012
2/7/2012 AOD with Nigel-Andrew
2/8/2012
Academics
x
GRADES
PERIOD
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
CLASSES
WEIGHT TRAIN/COND 1
ART
SPANISH 1B
TERM 1
TERM 2
A (100.0%)
N/A
A (100.0%)
N/A
N/A
N/A
GEOMETRY B
A (100.0%)
N/A
WRLD LIT & COMP 12B H
P (100.0%)
N/A
CHEMISTRY 2
N/A
N/A
MENTORSHIP
N/A
N/A
Case Manager:
SYVPI Number:
School Visits:
Milestone reached:
Individual counseling:
ISP progress:
CASE MANAGEMENT
Veasna Hoy
3-0363-10
2d, 2h, 4a
INDIVIDUAL ASSESMENT
Strengths
Works well independently
Hard working
COLLEGE READINESS
HSPE:
Reading: Y
Writing:Y
COLLEGE BOUND COMPLETED:
FAFSA COMPLETED:
SCHOLARSHIPS:
SAT/ACT SCORES:
SCHOOLS APPLIED TO:
EXTRA CURRICULAR:
CAREER GOALS:
Math:Y
Weaknesses
Writing essays
Science:Y
YES
OTHER COMMENTS / CASE MANAGEMENT NOTES
Actively working with Veasna for SAT Prep Workshops
Needs to work on attendance
Social work
SafeFutures Youth Center
College Readiness
SEMESTER 1
JANE DOE
Chief Sealth HS 12
STUDENT ID: 1005155
BIRTHDATE: 12/17/1993
Cambodian Female
Attendance
x
OUTCOMES
yes = x, no = o
Behavior
Barrier
o
o
Date
1/4/2012
1/5/2012
1/9/2012
1/11/2012
1/23/2012
1/27/2012
1/30/2012
1/31/2012
Academics
x
SCHOOL ATTENDANCES
Excused Unexcused
Period Class
1, 2
x
1
x
1,2,3, 4
x
1
x
7
x
7
x
7
x
7
x
GRADES
PERIOD
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
CLASSES
NUTRITION & WELLNESS
TERM 1
WORLD HISTORY 3H
SPANISH 1A
GEOMETRY 1A
TERM 2
A (95.0%)
B+ (88.9%)
A (96.3%)
WRLD LIT & COMP 12A H
Case Manager:
SYVPI Number:
School Visits:
Milestone reached:
Individual counseling:
ISP progress:
A (93.0%)
N/A
MYSA ATTENDANCES
Date
Comments
1/3/2012
1/4/2012
1/5/2012
1/9/2012
1/10/2012 AOD with Nigel Andrew
1/11/2012
1/12/2012
1/13/2012
1/17/2012 AOD with Nigel Andrew
1/23/2012
1/24/2012
1/25/2012
1/26/2012
1/27/2012
1/30/2012
1/31/2012 AOD with Nigel Andrew
B (85.3%)
B (85.1%)
CHEMISTRY 1
A (93.1%)
B (83.3%)
MENTORSHIP
P (100.0%)
P (100.0%)
CASE MANAGEMENT
Veasna Hoy
3-0363-10
2
2d, 2h, 4a
INDIVIDUAL ASSESMENT
Strengths
Works well independently
Hard working
COLLEGE READINESS
HSPE:
Reading: Y
Writing:Y
COLLEGE BOUND COMPLETED:
FAFSA COMPLETED:
SCHOLARSHIPS:
SAT/ACT SCORES:
SCHOOLS APPLIED TO:
EXTRA CURRICULAR:
CAREER GOALS:
Math:Y
Weaknesses
Writing essays
Science:Y
YES
OTHER COMMENTS / CASE MANAGEMENT NOTES
Actively working with Veasna for SAT Prep Workshops
Needs to work on attendance
Social work